5 story lines to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine

NFL Scouting Combine

February 19, 2009|By Tim Stephens, Sentinel Staff Writer

The NFL's annual meat market gets started in depth today, with more than 300 of the top prospects for April's draft congregating at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for a few days of poking and prodding by the more than 600 NFL executives and scouts in attendance.

Players will be interviewed and measured -- physically, mentally and philosophically -- by a battery of tests designed to gauge their worthiness for NFL millions. A player can solidify his standing or significantly help or hurt it.

Today and Friday, players meet with teams and subject themselves to all the head-shrinking. But let's be honest: Correct answers to questions on the Wonderlic Personnel Test might show a player to have above average intelligence, but what the scouts really want to know is how fast the guy can run the 40-yard dash and how many times he can bench-press 225 pounds.

Those exercises -- which start Saturday -- and others such as the vertical jump, broad jump, agility drills and shuttle runs will test athleticism, endurance and strength.

Here are five story lines to watch this week:

Is Georgia's Matt Stafford worth the No. 1 overall pick?

The Detroit Lions, coming off the first 0-16 season in NFL history, desperately need a franchise quarterback. He's got the body at 6 feet 3, 236 pounds. He's got the NFL-caliber arm. He has the experience as a three-year starter for the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC. But he also has a track record of big mistakes in big games, leading some to question if he's more Ryan Leaf than Peyton Manning. A strong showing here might alleviate concerns.

Where does Percy Harvin fit in?

The Gators star was -- with all apologies to Tim Tebow -- the best player on two national championship teams. But it's unknown how his skills will translate to the NFL. He's not a conventional wide receiver and he's not a running back. Plus, injuries at Florida limited his playing time and raise some questions about durability. There's no question there's a place for Harvin in the league. His explosiveness will be coveted by someone in the first round. But how high he goes might be determined by what he does at the combine -- and by the offensive plan devised by the team that takes him. One big question: Will Harvin run the 40 here? Some stars skip parts of the workout, though lately that doesn't seem to be as commonplace.

Hey, who are all these new guys?

The NFL has 10 new head coaches in 2009 -- almost a third of the league -- and this will be the first chance to see and hear from many of them since their initial press conferences. That includes a look at Tampa Bay's new brain trust: Coach Raheem Morris and GM Mark Dominik. It will be interesting to see if the two newbies make the rounds in Indianapolis. In the past, former GM Bruce Allen and former coach Jon Gruden kept quiet at the combine.

Why does this look like USC workouts?

Pete Carroll's squad is represented by 11 players, underlining the talent of a team that some say should've gotten a shot at the national title. The vaunted USC defense will have eight players at the combine, including four linebackers led by first-round talents Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. QB Mark Sanchez will try to prove to scouts he made the right choice by leaving school early.

Who has the most to gain here?

Every year, there are always three or four names from small schools you need to learn before April. Keep an eye on Liberty RB Rashad Jennings, a 234-pounder who can run, block and catch the ball. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl in January. Sam Houston State QB Rhett Bomar can remind everyone why he once was the starting QB at Oklahoma, where he began his career before transferring. Jackson State CB Domonique Johnson could turn some heads, too. But the player with the most to gain didn't take a snap in 2008. Florida TE Cornelius Ingram returned to school hoping to improve his stock but blew out a knee on the first day of drills. A good combine performance would do him wonders.